1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video phone unit with a television camera.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, the use of a video phone unit for transmitting a moving picture has been rapidly developing along with the increasing use of digital communication networks.
Normally, in a conventional video phone unit, the moving picture of one speaker is photographed by a movable television camera before being transmitted to the other speaker.
However, in the above conventional video phone unit, the speaker can not watch the television picture taken by the camera at his end of the line because the camera is secured to the body of the telephone. That is, the speaker can not select the area of which the picture is to be taken. Some types of television cameras can stand apart from the body of the telephone, but the television picture taken by the television camera can not be viewed by the speaker on the photographing side.
Also, in the above conventional video phone unit, because a subject is photographed while the photographed picture is being transmitted, a flickering picture is transmitted when the television camera is moved. Therefore, a receiver feels unpleasant. This imparts a disagreeable sensation to the person viewing the picture at the receiving end.